Dubai-based columnist Devinder Bains decides to fast during Ramadan. Result? She’s successful but thoughts of food don’t leave her.

Now that Ramadan has come to a close, Devinder Bains looks back at her attempt at fasting

It’s two o’clock in the afternoon and I’m trying to write this column on an empty stomach. I haven’t had anything to eat or drink since 5am and all I can think about is washing down a dozen custard-filled donuts with a can of fizzy pop. But there’s still over five hours until I can get my sugar fix, or any sort of fix in terms of food and beverage. I’m well-versed in what will happen over those five hours: I’ll do some work but it will be sandwiched (arghh sandwiches!) with thoughts of pizza, chips and blueberry muffins! During the particularly desperate hours I’ll even pine after a superfood salad with extra quinoa and in the really dark times, I’ll be salivating about a kale and celery smoothie.

I’m fasting…and I’m making quite the song and dance about it (metaphorically of course, I’m abstaining from actual singing and dancing during Ramadan). What I am doing, is telling anyone who will listen (and those who won’t) about how hard it is to fast and how hungry I am, not to mention how bored I am thinking about food all day.

The truth is I’ve only been fasting two days a week during Ramadan, which totals ten days, and today is the last day. Yes, you heard me right, I’m not even fasting ‘properly’. Not like my Muslim friends and colleagues and actually a couple of my non-Muslim colleagues too.

My fellow personal trainer at Fit Squad DXB, Kayleigh Green is ‘doing it properly’, which by the way means fasting every single day from sunrise to sunset and not drinking any water (yeah, I might have had a few sips on one of the days).

Like me, Kayleigh (who is also a non-Muslim from England) wanted to embrace the culture of our host country. She also wanted to try and understand first-hand what it’s like to train while you’re fasting. Unlike me, she made the brave decision to do it through the whole of Ramadan. ‘I’ve realised I do actually revolve my life around food and constantly think about food,’ Kayleigh explains. Oh good, we’re on the same page here. ‘Because I think food is one of life’s pleasures,’ she continues. ‘But we do not necessarily need that much food and most of the time we just eat out of habit.’ Also a fair point, but not something I can concentrate on right now, not while staring into the fridge at a piece of uncooked tuna steak like it’s a long lost friend I want to embrace.

But Kayleigh might have a point. Reem Shaheen, counselling psychologist at Dubai’s ClearMinds Center for Emotional Health explains: ‘This ability to master control over physical desires increases one’s confidence in oneself.

Further, abstaining from things like food and drink offers individuals a chance to re-evaluate their relationship with those elements. Often when we distance ourselves from a certain object it offers a chance to examine our relationship with it.’

I think there may be some truth in this for me. Now that my fasting is over (albeit, not as airtight as other people’s attempts), I can start to reflect.

Nearly all my cravings during my fasting days have been for unhealthy food because it’s something I rarely allow myself to have. To be honest, it’s the same cravings I have when I’m not fasting. So, maybe it’s actually time for a little moderation when it comes to my diet, maybe I need to allow myself ‘cheat foods’ every now and again without attaching guilt to the thought of them.

It seems my time of reflection has helped me achieve something after all. Now, where’s that doughnut…I’m going to enjoy it guilt-free!